Gadget bag



June 13, 1961 J. REYNOLDS GADGET BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1958 Erarzfar Lee J Reyna/0's BE M W* June 13, 1961 L. J. REYNOLDS GADGET BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1958 Eazrfar (.ee J Reyna/04s United States Patent 2,988,125 GADGET BAG Lee J. Reynolds, 262 Oneida Ave., Elmhurst, Ill., assignmof one-half to Vincent G. Rinn, Park Ridge, Ill. Filed June 23, 1958, Ser. No. 743,627 4 Claims. (Cl. 15052) This invention relates to a bag or portable container with a bin-like sub-compartment and a carrying strap adapted to hold a lid or cover for the bag in open position. Specifically, this invention deals with a camera gadget bag having a camera receiving bin in an end thereof which is easily opened without opening the bag or disturbing other items in the bag.

Heretofore, a variety of carrying cases or bags have been available for use in storing cameras, film and accessories such as exposure meters, lenses, flash equipment and the like but these have generally been constructed so that removal of one of the objects has necessitated displacement of the others. Also, the covers of such bags have been cumbersome and have tended to move back into closing position so as to interfere with access. The attempt to solve these problems by the use of trays or the like has occasioned complex constructions entailing excessive costs and the necessity for manipulating special fastening elements such as zippers or the like so that a desired section of the bag would be exposed.

In overcoming these difficulties, the invention provides a storage bin, container or compartment which is pivotally secured to the gadget bag so that one wall thereof forms an end wall of the bag, or a major portion thereof, the

compartment being dimensioned to receive a camera or the like therein and adapted to pivot or tilt outwardly as a bin-like unit with a back wall, side walls and a bottom as well as a front wall to present the camera directly to the operator when desired without the need for opening the cover of the bag or any interference with materials other than the object sought. A stationary partition wall in the bag prevents the contents of the bag from falling into the space occupied by the bin-like unit even when it is tilted to open position. Retaining means may be provided to limit the outward movement of the compartment, such as a lip on the inner wall thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag and the pivotal storage compartment or bin are dimensioned and constructed below the top of the bag so that a top wall for the compartment is fixedly secured in the bag a predetermined distance below the upper peripheral edge thereof so as to simultaneously provide a receptacle or tray for immediate access when the cover of the bag is raised. A shoulder carrying strap for the bag is conveniently secured to the end wall of the bag so as to form a carrying loop over the bag which does not interfere with the opening of the bin compartment or the lid or cover. The main lid or cover for the bag is pivotally secured to the end wall of the bag opposite to the bin equipped end wall, so that there is no difliculty in reaching or examining the contents of the tray above the bin. Further to assure ease of access to the bag interior, an easily engaged fastening means is provided on the free end of the cover which is adapted to cooperate with a complementary fastening means on the shoulder strap so that the cover may be held open without requiring special attention, and in a position where it will not interfere with the insertion or removal of objects from the bag or tray.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carrying case such as a gadget bag for cameras or the like having a storage compartment snugly received therein a position such as to cooperate in forming a portion of a wall of the case, and adapted to be pivoted manually outwardly to afiord access to an object such as a camera contained therein without disturbing the contents in the remainder of the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivotal storage department as described which in a preferred embodiment is provided with a top wall which is disposed in stationary position in the bag below the top edge thereof and a transverse divider which cooperates therewith to provide a tray above the compartment adapted to protect the interior of the compartment against the other objects and materials in the bag and to provide a protected enclosure for various accessories in a readily accessible location.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gadget bag as described having means for restraining outward movement of the storage compartment at a predetermined point of angular rotation thereof so that the compartment will be maintained in a desired position when open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gadget bag as described having a cover pivotally secured to the end of the bag opposite the end where the storage compartment is located, and provided with a snap or other suitable fastening means at its free end for selective engagement or disengagement with corresponding means on a shoulder strap for the bag, so as to maintain the cover in an upright position when it is desired to insert or remove objects therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrying case as described which is novel in construction and simple and economical to manufacture, and which affords advantages in efficiency and adaptability in a wide range of applications. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in accordance with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the gadget bag according to the invention with the cover thereof in open position;

FIGURE 2 is a view corresponding to the view of FIGURE 1 with the cover in closed position and the storage compartment in open position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURES l-4, a gadget bag 10 is shown according to the invention comprising a container 12, preferably of leather or the like, having a front wall 14 to which a pocket or accessory container 15 may be secured which is provided with a flap i6 fastened by suitable means 18. The back wall 20 of the container and the end wall 22 and bottom wall 24 thereof may be formed in a usual manner in accordance with the understanding of those skilled in the art, and, in accordance with the invention, the other end wall 26 is made with a flap carrying an opened topped storage bin or compartment 28 for receiving a camera or the like having an outer wall 30 which in the closed position of the storage compartment fits flush with and forms a part of the end wall 26 as hereinafter further described.

The storage compartment or bin 28 is rigid with its own bottom, sides and ends and has an open top. The bin is pivotally secured at the end edge 31 of the bottom wall 24, preferably by using a continuous piece of material for the bottom wall and the outer wall 3i) of the compartment and by securing the bin to the wall 30. The bin may be opened by disengaging an overlying flap 32 on the end 26 carrying a fastening element 34 adapted to be received in a complementary fastening bracket 36 on the wall 30 and pivoting the compartment through the opening 37 by grasping the bracket 36. The flap 32 is preferably formed integrally on a depending extension 38 of a fixed transverse upper portion of the wall 40 forming part of the stationary upstanding wall structure of the con- 3 tainer. It will be understood however that the flap 32 may be omitted, and that other fastening means may be utilized as desired.

The bin or compartment 28 includes a rear wall 42 opposite the wall section 30, side walls 44 and 46 and a bottom wall 48 dimensioned to maintain the walls 44 and 46 in close-fitting slidable relationship with the walls '14 and 2G and to rest in abutting relationship with the bottom wall 24 when the compartment is closed as hereinafter further described.

In order to restrain the compartment 28 from moving outwardly to an undersirable extent, abutments means are provided which in one form of the invention may include an upstanding extension or shoulder 50 on the rear wall 42 adapted to engage the depending extension 38 of the wall portion 4t when the wall 42 is pivoted into registration with the upper portion 32 of the bag in opening the compartment 28, although other means for accomplishing a restraining action as described will fall within the scope of the invention, as, for example, utilizing a longer depending extension on the fixed wall portion 40.

In order to protect the contents of the compartment 28, a top wall 51 is provided which is fixedly secured to the walls 14, 2t! and 40 in proximate relationship to the vertical compartment walls 42-46 and parallel to the bottom wall of the bag 24, and a protected, readily ac cessible tray 52 is formed therewith adjacent the top of the bag by means of a transverse divider 54 which is preferably extended to the bottom wall 24. Also, the tray 52 may be constructed for selective removal from the container if desired. So as to further facilitate access to the tray 52 and to the contents of the larger storage space 56, the cover or closure 58 of the bag is pivotally secured to the top edge 60 of the end wall 22 opposite'the wall 26, and zipper means 62 are preferably provided for the cover, although other means may be used to secure the cover in closed position in accordance with the understanding of those skilled in the art.

A frequent difficulty encountered with presently'available gadget bags is the fact that the cover generally tends to return to closing or partially closed position unless restrained manually. When one hand is thus occupied in holding the cover open, the task of obtaining a desired piece of equipment from the bag is rendered extremely difficult. In order to meet this problem, a looped shoulder strap 64 for the bag is suitably secured to the end wall 22 and end wall portion 40, and is provided with a fastening element such as a snap 66 on the leg thereof extending from the end wall 22 at a distance from the top of the end Wall 22 such as to mate With a similar snap 68 formed on a tab 70 on the free end of the cover 58. Accordingly, the strap when in carrying position loops the top of the bag and holds the cover in a vertical open position when access to the bag is desired. This frees both hands for use in inserting or removing equipment from the bag or the like.

Thus a gadget bag has been provided of simple and economical construction which defines at least three distinct storage facilities, each of which is protected from the others and is readily accessible without the need for manipulating complex parts. The largest compartment 56 may contain a variety of equipment such as exposure meters or film, while the tray 52 may be used for delicate lenses or the like, and the camera may be storedin the compartment 28 for immediate availability without the necessity of opening the cover 58, although it will be understood that the invention is suitable for use in a wide variety of applications.

Although I have herein set forth and described my invention with respect to certain specific principles andv details thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claims.

I claimv as my invention:

1. A container comprising. a bottom wall, an upstanding wall structure extending peripherally around said bottom wall and defining an opening extending from said bottom wall for a predetermined distance and a predetermined width, a storage compartment having a bottom wall pivotally secured to the bottom wall of said container at the edge portion thereof within said opening and having an upstanding wall structure extending around said bottom wall of said storage compartment adapted to be disposed substantially within said container with the outer wall portion of said storage compartment snugly received in said opening when said bottom wall of said storage compartment is in abutting relationship with said bottom wall of said container, atop wall in said container extending in substantially parallel relationship to the bottom wall thereof, said top wall being disposed in proximate relation to the upstanding wall structure of said storage compartment such as. to. afford free pivotal movement of said storage compartment in said opening, a divider extending transversely across the upstanding wall structure of said container, said upstanding wall structure of said container cooperating with said top wall and said divider to define a tray in said container and prevent extraneous objects from entering said storage compartment from within the container, a cover for said container pivotally secured to a portion of said upstanding wall structure of said container opposite said tray, strap means secured to opposite sides of said container substantially on an axis defined by the pivotal connection for said cover and said tray and fastening means on said strap means and on the free end of said cover opposite the pivotal connection thereof for releasably fastening said cover to said strap.

2. A gadget bag for cameras and the like comprising a container having a substantially rectangular bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and an end wall, a storage compartment having a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, means pivotally securing said storage compartment in said container along an edge of said bottom wall of said storage compartment corresponding to a lower edge of one of said pair of end walls of said storage compartment, and along an edge of said bottom wall of said container opposite said end wall of said container, said one of said end'walls of said storage compartment being disposed in a position to provide another end wall of said container when the storage compartment is pivoted inwardly into said container a maximum extent such as to dispose the bottom wall of said storage compartment i-n abutting relationship to the bottom wall of said container, a tray including a wall secured .to the front and rear walls of said container in proximate registration above said storage container when the storage compartment is pivoted inwardly to said maximum extent, said tray wall being in substantially parallel relationship to said bottom wall of said container, a divider extending along the inner edge of said tray wall between said front and rear walls and an end wall portion extending along the outer edge of said tray wall, a cover for said container having the end opposite said tray pivotally secured to said container, a shoulder strap having its ends secured to the end wall and Wall portion of said container and fastening means on the free end of said cover andon said strap adapted to releasably secure said cover in upright position when said container is carried dependingly by said strap whereby to afford full access to said tray and said container.

3. A gadget .bag for cameras and accessories or the like comprising a container having a bottom wall of substantially rectangular configuration, and an upstanding wall structure extending peripherally around three sides of said bottom wall and including a wall portionextending across the fourth side at a predetermined height above said bottom wall to define an opening in said fourth side, a tray, a storage compartment beneath said tray' pivotally mounted in said container for movement into and outwardly of said container about an axis substantially at the fourth side edge of said bottom wall, said storage compartment having a bottom wall having a length substantially less than the length of the bottom wall of said container, said container having a relatively large recep tacle for miscellaneous accessories or the like therein externally of said storage compartment and an upstanding wall structure slidably received in the wall structure of said container, means provided by said storage compartment and by said wall portion adapted to restrain outward angular movement of said storage compartment from a nested inward position thereof whereby to dispose said storage compartment in a position wherein the open end thereof is exposed outside the confines of said container for inserting or removing a camera or the like therefrom, a shoulder strap extending from said wall portion to the opposite wall, a cover for said container pivotally secured to said opposite wall, a fastening element on said shoulder strap positioned a distance from said opposite wall corresponding to the axial length of said cover and a fastening element on said cover adapted to be removably engaged with fastening means on said strap, whereby said cover may be maintained substantially upright relative to said container during use to afiord ready access to said tray and to said receptacle portion of said con tainer.

4. A bag which comprises an open topped closed bottomed container having upstanding side and end Walls, a cover pivoted on one of said end walls, and having an opposite free end, means for securing said cover to said container in top closing position, a carrying strap for said container secured to said end walls and looping the top of the bag, and coacting fastener means on the leg of the strap adjacent the pivoted end of the cover and on the free end of the cover for holding the cover in open position away from the top of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,927,624 Appel Sept. 19, 1933 2,053,599 Brinkerhoff Sept. 8, 1936 2,510,918 Wax June 6, 1950 2,827,096 Hinson Mar. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,671 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1935 

